Hello friends!

First of all I want to apologize for without having written on the previous week. Nothing new to count on this week. More office work and in Cáritas on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday was the only day of the week we did something different. Like every Thursday from 16:00 to 17:00, we carry out our radio show. The central theme of the program was “The vegetarianism“, and given that my colleague Gioia is vegetarian, we were able to have different points of view on this mode of supplying, and for some people, lifestyle. Due to our limited vocabulary on some occasions and to technical problems arising in the broadcast booth, we can say that our program has progress margin. But we are, and if someone is interested in listening to the program, here is the link to the page: http://mycyradio.eu

On Friday, as the previous Friday, Dimitris and I went to play basketball at a court near the former Campus of the University of Nicosia. There we met up more people to have some fun and do some sport. Accustomed to do sport in group and to live in rural areas which eases you the practice of other sports, the truth is that it´s been tricky to me to do exercise regularly in the city. Working hours doesn´t help much to set me a time to be more regular and constant. However,  I always try to get some time to be active, and also the fact of going to any site walking or by bike helps.

On Saturday my partners of volunteerism and I started a part of the program of volunteerism called “arrival training“. In this course we met all newcomers volunteers to Cyprus (or who have already been a few weeks, as is our case). The objective of the course was mainly respond to certain aspects of the European voluntary service or “EVS“, acquire a number of concepts and knowledge to put into practice during our experience on the island and to meet other volunteers and to make new friends. This course was held in a hotel in Nicosia, in which we spent five intense days. Fortunately we went to expenses paid, so that we didn´t have to worry more than to enjoy and to learn from the experience. After the long but well spent days of the course, we had time to go out for the city and drink a few beers.

Wednesday was the last day of course and with it came farewells for Limassol friends and “see you later” to the Nicosia ones. And it was a “see you later” because on Friday we met up all together to go out partying on the other side of the city, on the Turkish side (or occupied part, as the greek-cypriots prefer to call it), but that we will talk a bit later about this. On Wednesday, all the group spent the morning in the hotel doing an assessment of the previous days and after eating we went back home to rest.

On Thursday he returned to work and we spent the morning in the office preparing the radio show that my friend Barbara and I did in the afternoon. The theme of the program was “The importance of doing sport and being an active person”. Without many time to prepare the program, we did it quite well, if we don´t consider some small technical problems with mixer to play the music (take note for the next program).

Coming back to Friday, most of it was work in the office during the morning and in the afternoon we had an important meeting with several members of YEU Cyprus. We had to prepare the event we´ll do next Sunday on the beach of Larnaca. An event called “Wet Games“, that although it sounds a bit suggestive, the only thing wet  we´ll have will be sea water. More than three hours of meeting and everything was almost left  organized. In the evening I met my mentor and several friends to cross the border and we attended a reggae party which was held on the other side. There we gathered the new friends we met during the week of training at the hotel. First big night of party in Nicosia for me and a great atmosphere.

On Saturday, finally after three weeks, I could laze in bed and getting up late. Close of the half-day I went to the market to buy some vegetables and back home. Quiet day to disconnect and get a day with some housework.

Sunday I was with Antonia, my language exchange partner to attend an event on ecology and care of the environment. It was an interesting event in which we did some yoga (I didn´t remember what it was that), we learned a little more about the importance of a healthy diet and we listened to traditional Cypriot and Greek music. Good plan to finish the week.

Let´s follow the coming week!

Hello again!

In this entry I will try not to write too much, basically because lately we have a lot of work and I don´t have a lot of time to sit down to write. Many things have happened this week. We have continued with our “Screening club”, my partner Gioia and I we have made our first vegetarian meal workshop, I could have played my first basketball party after one month and also we have had time to go away of trip with the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) during the weekend. Apart from all this, also we have dedicated many working time in the office and in Caritas.

On Tuesday we project the second film of our “Screening club” with some technical problem, which fortunately we were able to fix and was nothing. We had good public attendance, probably because they knew they would have popcorn to accompany the movie. No, seriously, we had an exceptional public that enjoyed the film and we appreciated enormously the patience they had with our problems of projection.

On Wednesday Gioia and I made our first workshop called “Veggie Kitchen”. In the morning we went to the market to buy the necessary ingredients and in the evening we started to work. The plates chosen for this first workshop were the “Spanish omelette”, a “salad of spinach and apple” and as dessert a “salami of chocolate”. The workshop was not badly completely: as for the meal, everything went out pretty good, we could enjoy a marvelous dinner. Nevertheless, in the next workshops we will have to improve the diffusion of the event to attract more people and on the other hand to organize us a bit better at the time of preparing the dishes.

On Thursday it is summed up in a training course given by Cáritas in the morning and more office work in the evening, and on Friday, after spending the morning in the Cáritas shelter, finally little free time in the evening to release the stress of the week. Dimitris, Benjamin and I met several boys that we met in the kitchen workshop in the old campus of the University of Cyprus to play a basketball match. How I missed to take a ball and to enjoy the sport that I love.

The weekend began at the station of bus of Nicosia. There was programmed a trip for students Erasmus, and we, like part of the project Erasmus +, we joined the group to begin knowing the island. We took in the direction of Paphos, and before the arrival, we did several stops in the way. First to take a few pictures of the incredible scenery of the coast and a bit later we had a  bath in “Petra’s beach tou Romiuo”, considered to be the place of birth of the goddess Aphrodite and where the rock it´s known with the name of the goddess. Next we continue with the program and we went to visit “The Aphrodite´s Bath”, a small spring in that, as count the legend, if you bathe in it you obtain the eternal youth. Since we went to see the place almost sixty persons suddenly, I almost manage to appear to the shore.

Once we left the baths, we came to the hotel. A complex with swimming pool, much adapted the whole group to freshen up and to spend some time until the hour of having dinner. To go to have dinner, we took the bus up to a beach bar. There we had dinner and after that, we continued with a party in the beach. An incredible party if it hadn´t been for the DJ. Fortunately some alcohol made the moment more bearable. We finished the party at two o’clock in the morning and we returned to the hotel.

The morning of the following day, we took a pleasure boat to come up to a beach called Blue Lagoon. The place was spectacular. A clean and clear water with an intense blue color was allowing to see the bottom of the sea with all clarity. A little bath and return to ground. When we came to the port from which we set sail, we went directly to eat, it was necessary to restore energies. After eating, we took the bus again and went to “The Seacaves”, a few caves in which it penetrates the sea and in which also species as the seal monk of the Mediterranean or marine turtles live.

After an intense weekend it was time to go back home. At nine o´clock at home with some time to rest and get energy for the next day.
Last Monday was a very long day. All day in the office and in the evening we performed “Screening Club”, because of the training course we did today, we had to do it yesterday. Great affluence of public again and satisfied they had fun.
See you next week!

Hello everyone!
This week has been developed in a quiet way. We have not had excessive office work, and at the Caritas shelter all completed in a quiet way, unless the days that I’ve had to go. I say that I’ve had because Dimitris weekly organizes couples so that we agree with all partners.

On Tuesday evening we started our “Screening Club“. The theme of this month will be about  French cinema. So on Tuesday we projected a film about a French family in which four daughters get married with men of different ethnicity and religion. A comedy that everyone could enjoy. But the funniest thing was to see the face of a group of Senegalese people when the prettiest sister pretended to get married with a black guy. Among them you could see as a feeling of pride and hope at the same time. We also had more audience than expected to be the first screening, and good taste at the end of the film. So satisfied.

Wednesday again in Caritas and in the afternoon more office work. We had to prepare the radio program for the next day. In the evening I had dinner with Elli to catch up lots of things, because since she had been two weeks away and I hadn´t been able to see my mentor.

And Thursday arrived and with it the radio program. To be honest I have to say I wasn’t too anxious. It was something new for me given that I´d never participated before in a radio program. But the fact of knowing that you can program wahtever you want and that it isn´t a station that has excessive audience made me feel more comfortable. It´s an online radio station that plays from the neutral zone of Nicosia and that is aboutt to a programme of approachment between the two parts of the island, the Turkish Cyprus and Greek Cyprus. But let´s back to the program. We started it the four volunteers at 4pm with a stifling heat. The program was a little about us (what a novelty), our first impressions in Cyprus and about our projects this year. We also added some songs from Eurovision Song contest between chat and chat, and on the occasion of the gala which was held last weekend. Courtesy of my colleague Benjamin. After an hour of stories, anecdotes and laughter, the general feeling of the group was good. We had fun and enjoyed doing what we did. At the end, and after all this is the purpose of this experience, at least for me.

In the evening, I met my mentor Elli in her “WindCraft” Music Center. There was a music concert attended by a famous israeli saxophonist named Gilad Atzmon and jazz with the collaboration of several local musicians. At the end, a little help to pick up the living room and home.

Friday was pretty quiet. Office work throughout the day. At night I went out with my language exchange partner to help her with her Spanish exam. We also took the opportunity to have a beer, as it well deserves a Friday night. And after finishing with her, party time with friends to finish the night, but not too late because the next day was going to be a little hard.

As I said before, Saturday was going to be a hard day because my colleagues and I decided to collaborate with a recycling company in a social event for the whole family. I say hard because our work was to dress up a costume pet of the company and to encourage participants, especially to children. An hour in the morning and another in the afternoon. I decided to participate in this experience to know what was to be in a costume, in my case a robot, and the experience from the inside. Have you been in a sauna once for an entire hour? There the answer. Good experience, but if I can avoid it, I think that I won´t return to dress more like this. Return home and to rest, that the weekend still hadn´t finished.

On Sunday morning, my Friends and housemates Gioia, Barbara and I went to a hiking route to know a bit more the island. Specifically, we went to Kalo Xwiro Orinis, near Agros, South of the city of Nicosia. The route was something softer than expected, but I was happy to go out for a few hours in the city and see a bit of nature.

In the evening, we invite our friends Elena, Zoe and Maria at home to dinner and closing a full weekend.

Yesterday we started the week at the Caritas shelter and in the afternoon meeting with Dimitris, Lefki and the former coordinator of YEU Cyprus, Iliana.

See you next week!

Ps: without realizing it, already took a month in Nicosia! how quickly time goes on when one enjoys!

After the orthodox Easter, on Tuesday my colleagues and I restarted the work we had at hand, which was basically to sharp the last details of the event that we would do on Sunday, “Open Mind Open World”. Event whose objective was to introduce us as new volunteers of the project “Cultural Caravan” to the young Cypriots and from other countries, talking about us and our culture. To do this, we prepared a series of activities and games quite dynamic, which in my opinion, were not bad. But we will discuss all this later.

On Wednesday, my Italian colleague Gioia and I went back to the Centre of Caritas to continue lending a hand. Gosia as the engine of the centre, sometimes need to Split up herself to do several things at the same time. Helping a refugee just arrived to the island who has no papers and do not know where he have to ask for them, an African woman who has given birth recently and had complications in the birth and she cannot go at the hospital because he has no documentation,… and like this a bunch of different cases in which Gosia mediate to make things easier to all these people. All help is few, so volunteers that there we collaborate in whatever we can to. We are starting, but there are several volunteers with several months of experience performing essential work with those people without resources. Heroes all them.

On Thursday, after a full day at the office, he had a round of beers by the Center. My fellow Benjamin, Barbara, Gioia and I met with three girls, also volunteers in another Project. We met because one of them was Italian and knew  Gioia before coming to Cyprus. The point was that a beer became more and we finished the night later than we planned and more pleased than expected. Better not thinking about the next day.

Some more office work on Friday, some rehersals and tuning the projector for the event that we would perform on Sunday and coming back home to rest. We could notice the consequences of the night before.

Nothing new on Saturday, day to organize and to clean home, and at night time to disconnect with friends at home. Sunday was our day.

And Sunday arrived. And with it our first event. All the volunteers were a little nervous, some by how many people would attend, others because we wanted everything to come out as we had planned. At the end we met about 20 people at the office of YEU Cyprus and activities came out more or less as expected. I say more or less because the activity was expected to start at 18:00 and waiting for that people we could not start until 18:30, so this changed our time plans. Nevertheless, our first event was quite satisfactory. Various icebreaking games, cooperative-competitive activities and competitions with a cultural point. In that it summed up the afternoon. And that is the dynamic of work we must follow. To celebrate this, a good dinner and a few beers. But soon home because Monday already was coming.

Again, starting on Monday with positive attitude and wanting to cope with work and activities presented to us by the week.

Until next week!

After a week full of activities both inside and outside the office, the second week has followed on the same line. Planning of activities, workshops and events we are going to carry out throughout the year, development of the first event “Open Mind, Open World“,  begining the works as a volunteer at the Shelter or centre of Caritas, and so many activities such as workshops of vegetarian cuisine, movie club, sporting activities… this sums up our second week in Lefkosia , Nicosia in Greek.

Apart from work and activities, we have also had time to enjoy leisure time. Not going so far, on Tuesday night we went to dinner at Lefki´s home, Coordinator of the “Cultural Caravan” team, our project. There we met the volunteers with all YEU Cyprus team. A few snacks and as dinner main five huge pizzas. After dinner, all the team sit down to make the night more enjoyable with board games. No doubt, the goal was reached.

Another activity that we’ve done this week has consisted of a “route of orientation” by the city. A highly recommended activity to discover different points of the city in a playful but also competitive way. In less than an hour, we had to respond to several questions about different features of the city. We almost got it. This is one of the many cultural and social activities which are carried out in the city and do not require a big outlay for fun. It is also possible to enjoy without spending a lot of money.

As a curiosity, I have to say that this year I have enjoyed the Easter twice. I mean the days of holidays. Throughout this week has been celebrated this holiday due to the fact that in Cyprus the predominant religion is Orthodox. People traditionaly roast lamb and swell to eat at family basically at this time. More or less what we do in Spain by Christmas. Also they walk in procession to the virgin and the night before to the Sunday of Resurrection they make a big bonfire in front of the main churches and continue with the liturgy until well into the night. On Holy Friday we almost find a bar open in the evening to take a few beers… apparently people take very seriously this holiday here.

On Saturday, Gioia, Benjamin and I went to Larnaca, a coastal city that is basically notable for its beaches and its airport. And I say basically because the city does not have much more to see. A castle located in the same line of beach or the Church of San Lazaro may be the most attractive to visit in the city.
Quiet Sunday at home and on Monday afternoon, which was holiday, my collegues and me went with our coordinator Lefki to a village near Nicosia to do some games and activities in the town square. Everything was familiar to me. It was like being in the festivals of my mother´s town, with their traditional games, family atmosphere that reigned in the square and those posts from toys that are so typical in fairs. Toward nine o’clock in the evening, we took way back home. Batteries charged and for the week.
See you next week!

I arrived in Nicosia a week ago, capital of Cyprus. After an exhausting day of flights from Alicante to Bucharest and then to Larnaca, I finally arrived at midnight to my new home. The reason for travel to Larnaca and not to Nicosia is mainly because Nicosia airport is currently abandoned and disused due to the attacks suffered during the Turkish occupation of the island in 1974, but we will talk about this later. From the airport of Larnaca to Nicosia there are regular bus lines, so it is not difficult to reach the capital.
I arrived at the bus station in Nicosia and a very friendly guy called Loizos came to pick me up, took me home and that same night I met one of my housemates Benjamin, born in Hungary. Very politely, he showed me the house and my room.
The next day I met my other two flatmates, Gioia, and Barbara, of Italy and Portugal respectively. Since the previous day was tiring due to the travel, Dimitris, our closest “boss” met us at 12:00pm. One of the features of the Cypriots is that they don´t take the schedules very strictly, something that sounds familiar to me. First contact with the neighborhood to have located supermarket, post office, and our workplace. All by hand, go. And although we do not live near the Center no matter, here the distances are not too long. In the evening, I met which from now on will be my mentor (and best friend) Elli. They took us to a jam session at a very nice bar in the residential area of Nicosia. Not bad for starters.
The second day in Nicosia began our particular training period. In the morning  we went to visit two centres called Cyprus Community Media Centre and Home for Cooperation (H4C), with the peculiarity that both are in the Buffer zone, the neutral zone controlled by the UN and which separates the Turkish part of Nicosia from Greek part. Later, in the office, we received some notions about the use of different online platforms to develop and promote activities that we will do from now on.
On Wednesday, went to visit a centre of Caritas, which from now on we will attend once a week to help to Gesha, an incredible person that is dedicated to help the most disadvantaged people day by day. Immigrants, refugees, political asylum, or simply people without resources go every day in the hope of improving their situation. In the afternoon, more training in the office about how to plan activities and events.
Thursday we did a planned tour in the old part of the city and we learnt more details about the history of the city, as for example the architectural influence of the Venetians (the wall which surrounds the old part of the city is its most prominent construction), its strong belief with the Ortodox church or Nicosia is now the only divided capital in the world.
Ending the week, more hours of training in the office and in the evening we return to the CCMC. There we had a meeting with the responsible for the radio Studio. He was explaining in general radio operation given that this will be another of our activities, perform a radio program one hour per week. I am open to topics to talk about.
The weekend has been pretty quiet. After a week full of news and information, it has been good to have your time to assimilate all the stuff we have seen and everything we have from no on.

See you next week!

It is said that everything in life happens for a reason. It is also said that to make something happen, one must put on their part to promote this event. Sometimes it fails and others success is reached. But what is undeniable is that if there is no predisposition to make something happen will never happen.

After three years of university life in Almería, it was time to start a new stage, this time between Pinoso, my hometown and Murcia, combining part-time jobs with studies. I realized soon of the importance of enhancing English language as for my professional future as for my personal  life, so I decided to catch it up, given that I hadn´t studied since I was at the secondary school.

Considering for several years the possibility of going to live to a English-speaking country for a season with the aim to push the language forward, eventually the moment came in the Autum 2014, when I took course towards England. It wasn´t a easy decision because I had never been living abroad. But after my experience , I must say that this has been one of the most pleasant and enriching I´ve ever lived.

But as everything in life there is a begining and an end, and the end of this stage in a little town from England called Totnes, which I´ll talk you about it later and where I have had the lucky of making great friends and meeting very interesting people, has arrived to give pass the begining of a new adventure. Adventure that will start very soon and it will have Nicosia as destination.

By the time I´ve decided to make a little stop in my hometown to enjoy the warmth of family and friends. But we will know soon more details about this new stage in the cypriot island situated in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.